Nursing Theorists

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Nursing Theorists

Introduction

The Code of Ethics for Nurses states that all professional nurses are required to take care of patients who are under their care. Effective care to be achieved, some measurements must be taken. There are a number of theories on the caring of nurses to patients. I feel that Jean Watson’s theory encompasses most of them and meets my philosophy best. Watson expresses that health is achieved when the soul, mind and body are at harmony and unity. For these to be met, he gives the necessary knowledge to be used and taken into consideration.

Discussion

Jean Watson suggests there is a caring-healing consciousness in all nurses. This is the ability of the nurses to know of the interconnections between beings and have a common objective to attend to and support the healing of an individual, scientifically and philosophically. His theory provides equilibrium for curing medically and caring for an individual for a complete healing. His theory gave ten factors for caring, which were then developed into ten clinical caring caritas processes. These processes can be used by nurses in their day-to-day nursing activities. These processes are necessary in order for care to be achieved.

The first is having a caring consciousness in order to show love and kindness. The second is being involved consciously and third is caring for the spiritual practices of oneself, while considering others. The fourth is to create and maintain a helping-trusting and caring relationship that is authentic. The fifth is being aware and supportive of the strength and weaknesses of oneself and others, by understanding that all these make one whole. The sixth is being creative in using oneself, one’s awareness and caring as important factors o the process of nursing. The seventh factor is involving oneself in teaching and learning experience that is formed through understanding the connection with others.

The eighth is developing and maintaining an environment that will enable healing at physical, non-physical, consciousness and subtle energy levels that will enable wholeness, comfort, dignity, beauty and peace. The ninth factor is giving essentials of human care with a deliberate caring consciousness that enables the wholeness of the mind, body and spirit, in every aspect of care. This enables the spiritual evolution of oneself and others. The tenth and last of caring caritas is opening and taking care of the spiritual-mysterious and the dimensions of existence that concern others and oneself. These caritas assume that there is interconnection of all beings.

Every exchange between beings involves energy that is shared by everyone who is there at the time of interaction. The involved nurse is able to take care of the client physically and mentally, by first taking care of his or her own physical and mental health. This is because it is not possible to take care of others, if is not healthy mentally and physically. The theory expresses a transpersonal caring relationship. These are the connections involve the inner self of others by providing a full, authentic and care-healing attention at the particular moment. This caring suggests that the nurse should be in the moment and focus on him or herself and the people involved in the exchange.

This the nurse should do with an open mind that is open to new possibilities. The nurse respects others outer and inner perspectives and tries to understand the existing connections they have with others. The right transpersonal caring exchange is able to provide for such requirements as technical care, pain control, provide a sense of well being, comfort measures and suffering transcendence. Every person who is involved in the interaction is taken to be whole and complete. The reason I have chosen Watson’s theory is because it meets the code of ethics for nurses which says that the measures taken by the nurses to take care of patients, would ensure that they are able to have as much social, physical, emotional and spiritual well being as possible. It involves both the client and the nurse.

This theory states that in order to take care of a person one must first be able to take of him or herself. This way one is able to give wholly to the client. I must first take care of my physical and mental health. This is by ensuring that I give myself the attention I require. This would involve exercising for both my physical and mental health, attending to my personal and family matters, getting enough rest, obtaining nutrition, having a balance of both home and work activities and ensuring that I have a good working environment. I should also be at peace with myself and accept all the flaws and strengths that I posses.

It also involves the nurse and client relationship fully. I am supposed to connect with the client by showing love and kindness to them. This way, she is comfortable and at peace in my care. This also ensures that the patient is able to trust me and be sure of my full support. I should also not be too judgmental of others and client. This will enable me connect with the client fully and be able to understand their requirements and urges so that I can offer the necessary help.

This theory also suggests that I treat an individual uniquely and try to maintain the individual’s honor in all my actions. This theory also encompasses some parts of other theories.

The first version of Edward’s theory suggests that care is given without considering the relationship between the nurse and the patient, that is to say that is to say it is based on the moral obligation the nurse has to take care of a patient even if they are not close. This is seen in Watson’s theory where the nurse should be to meet all the client’s needs. However, as compared to the Watson’s theory, Edward’s second version does not give fair treatment, where he suggests that the client is given care depending on the relationship between the nurse and the client. Gastmans Third suggests that the ethics of care is not more of a theory but a moral orientation.

He also expresses that the nurse should step out his or her own system of preference and step into that of the patient’s, in order to be able to understand the situation of the patients. Watson’s theory also talks of being in the moment or present at that that moment, in order to give the necessary care. Gastman’s and Gilligan’s theory, like Watson’s also focuses on the relationship between the patient and the nurse. They express that the nurse must be able to take care of him or herself before taking care of the patient.

Watson’s theory is based more on morals, whereby the nurse is supposed to give the best care to the patient by understanding their attributes wholly and treating them as individual. It also ensures that all the patient’s needs within that context are met. Like Watson, Tronto’s theory suggests that there is amoral relationship that exists between people. This is similar to Watson’s interconnectedness, which also suggests that a connection that exists between individuals.

Conclusion

Professional caring should involve more than the connection between the client and the nurse. It should consciously develop interactions that are transpersonal, with peers, the individual and the clients. There should be good leadership. It should also involve world and local communities’ interactions and have concern for the environment. Awareness should be given on how to give care in the different aspects of the profession.

References

Bailey, D. (2009) Caring Defined. A Comparison and Analysis, 13.

Lachman, V. (2012). Applying the Ethics of Care to Your Nursing Practice. Ethics, Law, and Policy, 21.

Sitzman, K. (2007). Teaching-Learning Professional Caring. International Journal for Human Caring, 11.